Risk
by forensicsfan
Summary: Post Ep for Butterflied.


Disclaimer: Don't own them, didn't create them, don't profit from them.  
  
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She sat there in the semi-darkness of her apartment as the afternoon sun filtered through her blinds. Her tears were long since spent and she huddled against the sofa cushions for some semblance of comfort. She felt numb.  
  
This case had seemed like any other at first. No one had told her that the victim bore a striking resemblance to her. She didn't even know until she was asked to print the toes of the victim what she looked like. She kept stealing glances at the victim's face, a gnawing sensation growing in the pit of her stomach until finally, she looked into her face. The resemblance was uncanny. From looks alone this woman and Sara could easily be mistaken for each other.  
  
Grissom hadn't let her help process the body, he didn't want her anywhere near it. And now she knew why. But why couldn't someone have prepared her for this since she was working the case? It still didn't make sense to her. He didn't make sense to her. She had watched him interrogate the prime suspect, and the words he had spoken had been a revelation. He had feelings for her, but he was never going to act on them because he seemed to think that he'd have to risk everything he'd worked for to be with her, and he wasn't willing to do that.  
  
Grissom wasn't the man she thought he was, the man she'd wanted him to be for so long. But she was ok with that. She had already begun to move on. Still, his words cut her deeply and with the victim looking so much like herself, she had been shaken to the core.  
  
A knock sounded at her door and it took her a few moments to will herself to move off of the couch to answer it. She didn't even bother looking through the peephole to see who it was, somehow she knew.  
  
A worried Nick Stokes stood there on the other side. "Sara, I was worried when you weren't at the airport."  
  
She looked at him, her expression lost. "I forgot."  
  
"I know. Catherine told me she thought you were at home, but you weren't answering your phone." Nick stepped inside as she opened the door wide.  
  
"I turned the ringer off." Her voice was a whisper and suddenly those tears that had dried up found their source again and they began streaming down her face.  
  
Nick closed the door and pulled Sara into a hug, just holding her as she began to sob. "It's ok, Sara. It's going to be ok." He led her over to the couch and she curled herself against him.  
  
As her sobs subsided she tried to offer him an explanation. "She looked just like me, Nick."  
  
"You're safe. You're ok. Nothing's going to happen to you." He tried to reassure her. When he hadn't seen Sara waiting to pick him up at the airport, he'd tried to get in touch with her and failed, he'd called Catherine and she'd told him about the case and how much the victim had looked like Sara, how upset Sara had looked after she'd seen her for the first time.  
  
"I'm sorry I forgot you at the airport." Sara sniffled.  
  
He smiled as he held her. "It's ok, Sar, I've gotten home from the airport by myself before."  
  
"I'm still sorry. I told you that I'd pick you up." She was glad he'd come over. She just wanted him to hold her.  
  
Her mind flashed back to a few days before. She and Nick had been spending more and more time together outside of work the last several months. At first, they just grabbed breakfast, maybe a movie, but lately things seemed to be moving to a deeper level, they seemed to be on the cusp of something that was more than just friends. She had gladly taken Nick to the airport so he could attend the American Society of Forensic Science's convention in Washington, DC. She had to smile at the way she felt a flutter in her stomach when she'd watched him turn and flash her a grin before waving and heading toward his gate. When Catherine had asked in their meeting just yesterday where Nick was, Sara had blurted out the information enthusiastically without hesitation.  
  
Then today had happened. She'd seen the victim. She'd heard Grissom's words. It was all overwhelming and she'd forgotten that she was supposed to pick Nick up at the airport. She'd forgotten that she was looking forward to seeing him until he was standing at her door.  
  
"Have you eaten anything, Sara?" Nick was like that, always making sure other people were taken care of, although sometimes he needed someone to do the same for him.  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"You want to go out and get something to eat?" He continued to hold her, rubbing her back.  
  
"No." She leaned herself into him, needing the comfort of his presence to remind her that she was alive and that she didn't need Grissom. "Let's order in." There was an unspoken request that he stay.  
  
Nick knew that the case had affected Sara deeply. From the way Catherine described it, Sara had been purposefully kept from seeing the victim. When she had finally seen her, it had been like coming face to face with herself, with her own mortality, though Sara wouldn't admit that to Catherine.  
  
Sara didn't want to tell Nick what she'd heard Grissom say, at least not right now. Maybe someday she would. All it would do is cause Nick to doubt his place in her life and she didn't want to jeopardize that right now. She needed him.  
  
They ordered pizza and ate in companionable silence, finally popping in a light hearted movie, Sara curled up against Nick as they sat on the couch. Part way into the movie, Sara fell asleep in Nick's arms. He watched her sleep, worry furrowing his brow as he stroked her hair. He was unsure of what was happening between them. Something was there, but whatever it was hadn't happened yet, it seemed to be just on the verge. Sara was one of his closest friends and to move it beyond that was risky, but at the same time, he found himself caring for her in a way he'd not allowed himself to care about someone in a long time. He thought she was more than worth the risk.  
  
The movie ended and Nick reached for the remote to turn the TV off. As he moved, Sara began to stir. Her hands splayed out against his chest as she pushed herself upright. As Nick watched her, his eyes locked with hers. The air was thick with a comfortable tension. Nick slid his hand into her hair, allowing his thumb to caress her cheek as he continued to look into her eyes. A smile flickered across Sara's face and she unconsciously wet her lips with her tongue as she noticed Nick smiling in return. They studied each other for a few seconds, their eyes glancing at each other's lips, knowing that a kiss would alter the nature of their relationship.  
  
Sara moved first. She leaned towards Nick, but he closed the distance between them, softly capturing her lips with his own as they shared their first kiss. They pulled apart several moments later, each studying the reaction of the other.  
  
Sara smiled, her voice was slightly husky. "I've wanted to do that for a while, but I was afraid it might be too risky."  
  
Nick grinned at her in return as his fingers lightly stroked her hair, his eyes searching hers. "I think you're definitely worth the risk, Sara."  
  
Sara leaned in and kissed Nick again, knowing that he had no idea how much those words meant to her, especially after what she'd heard Grissom say earlier in the interrogation room. 


End file.
